Third jailed in camp break-ins

A third suspect has been arrested and charged in a series of camp house burglaries in the Bradley community.

Dustin Mitchell Palmer, 21, Bradley Road, Wing, joins Louis Allen Scott, 30, no address listed, and Shane Bonifay, 41, of Goat Road, Wing, in being arrested for the break-ins.

All three face charges of three counts of burglary III and three counts of theft of property II.

Escambia County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Mike Lambert said the sheriff's office has been investigating the burglaries for the past several months.

That investigation led to the earlier arrests of Bonifay and Scott. Palmer was arrested last week.

Court records show Palmer was scheduled for a bond hearing Wednesday in Brewton.

Lambert said the support of residents in the Bradley community aided investigators in the capture of the suspects and the recovery of many of the stolen items.

He said he held a community-wide meeting in Bradley to help the people form a neighborhood watch program that led to tips to aid investigators in the case.

Lambert noted multiple law enforcement agencies in Covington County, Ala., Okaloosa County, Fla., and Florida Game and Fish helped identify the suspects.

"We need people in the community to be our eyes and ears," Lambert said. "If you see something suspicious, call us and we'll respond. We'd much rather respond to calls that lead to nothing than not get a call that can solve a case."